Hole placement and fill system based on category selection

Abstract

A communication device, has a receiver for receiving an audio signal, and an apparatus for producing a signal that is representative of the audio signal. A first analyzer analyzes at least a portion of the representative signal to determine whether the portion of the representative signal belongs to a predetermined category. The communication device also includes a transmitter that transmits a signal having an audio portion, with holes placed therein, and a first signalling information indicating whether the portion of the representative signal belongs to the predetermined category. A second analyzer analyzes the portion of the representative signal to determine at what times to place holes in the audio signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication device, comprising: means for receiving an audio signal;   means for producing a representative signal that represents the audio signal;   analyzing means for locating portions of the representative signal belonging to a set of predetermined categories of signal portions suitable for replacement by holes; and   a transmitter for transmitting an output signal, the output signal comprising:   audio information having holes occurring in place of the portions of the representative signal belonging to the set of predetermined categories of signal portions suitable for replacement by a hole; and   signalling information identifying the predetermined categories of the representative signal that have been replaced by holes.   
     
     
       2. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising: a receiver for receiving an input signal, the input signal representing a transmitted audio signal, and the input signal comprising (1) input audio information having holes therein, the holes replacing removed portions of the transmitted audio signal, and (2) input signalling information identifying predetermined categories of the portions of the audio information that were replaced by holes, and the input signalling information comprising hole-timing data indication the time at which each hole will occur in the audio information;   means for demodulating the input signal to obtain a recovered audio portion, and to decode the input-signalling information; and   means for replacing the holes in the input audio information with information of a category specified by the input signalling information.   
     
     
       3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the means for replacing the holes replaces the holes in the input audio information with approximate information based on the input signalling information, and on information relating to portions of the input audio information immediately preceding and immediately following each hole. 
     
     
       4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the audio signal comprises analog information, and wherein the means for producing a representative signal further comprises an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog information to a digital signal, so that the representative signal is digital. 
     
     
       5. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the communication device is a radio. 
     
     
       6. A receiver for receiving an input signal, the input signal representing an audio signal, and the input signal including (1) input audio information having holes therein, and (2) input signalling information identifying predetermined categories of the portions of the audio information that were replaced by holes, the receiver comprising: means for demodulating the input signal to obtain the input audio portion and to obtain the input signalling information; and   means for replacing the holes in the received audio in a manner determined by the signalling information.   
     
     
       7. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the means for replacing the holes replaces the holes in the input audio information with approximate information based on the input signalling information, and on information relating to portions of the input audio information immediately preceding and immediately following each hole. 
     
     
       8. A method for filling holes in a transmitted audio signal, comprising the steps of: with a transmitter,   receiving an audio signal;   producing a representative signal that represents the audio signal;   locating portion of the representative signal belonging to a set of predetermined categories suitable for replacement by a hole; and   transmitting an output signal, the output signal comprising:   audio information having holes occurring in place of at least some of the portions of the audio information that correspond to those portions of the representative signal that belong to the predetermined category; and   signalling information identifying the predetermined category of at least some of the portions of the audio information into which holes are placed.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: with a receiver;   receiving an input signal, the input signal representing an audio signal, and the input signal comprising input audio information having holes therein, the holes replacing removed portions of the audio signal, and input signalling information identifying predetermined categories of the removed portions of the audio signal, and the input signalling information comprising data indicating the time at which each hole will occur in the audio information;   demodulating the input signal to obtain the input audio portion; and   replacing the holes in the received audio with information of a category specified by the input signalling information.   
     
     
       10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the audio signal comprises analog information. 
     
     
       11. The communication device of claim 9, further comprising the step of: with the transmitter:   converting the audio signal to a digital audio signal, so that the representative signal is digital.